


The End

by Sylvalum



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Injury, M/M, post-apocalyptic roadmovie-style snippet, ruined future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 07:46:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10212851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/Sylvalum
Summary: Sonic will always keep fighting, and Shadow chose to stay by his side.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rinhwa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinhwa/gifts).



He was startled out of his sleep and instinctively went into attack-mode, sweeping out a leg in a powerful kick while squinting and blinking through the darkness. Was it robots? Refugees? Robbers? – and that someone caught his leg. And sent a spark of Chaos energy up through it, and now Sonic sagged again, letting out an irritated noise as he hissed,

“Stop. Teleporting. In here. When I’m asleep.”

A flash of fangs told Sonic that Shadow was smirking amusedly at him, and then the bed creaked, and warmth flooded into Sonic’s side where he touched him as he sat down. Sonic huffed again, but hell if he wasted this moment, so he slipped an arm around Shadow’s waist and pulled him closer. Chaos energy sparked again, but Sonic ignored it – Shadow smelt like fire.

He ran a hand along Shadow’s back – he had something in his fur. Dust, or dried blood, or sand… Sonic tried to brush it out, but had little success. He traced the outline of Shadow’s spine, and the black hedgehog practically melted into him as he leaned against his side, content if he could just have gotten closer…

-They both startled when something exploded, but it was a far-away sound. Far-away deaths, if there were any…

* * *

Terror. Disgust. He didn’t really know.

It’s kind of a toss-up when you wake up covered in blood.

And no, no one had tried to murder him in the middle of the night – the only one who could have done that anyway was Shadow. It was actually so that Sonic passed out, and now… is that my blood? He was currently trying to remember why he had passed out, choking that feeling panic which always came when he didn’t know where Shadow was…

Oh Chaos. Was that gash still bleeding? Sonic sat up and leaned forward, ignoring the pangs of pain and dizzying nausea, scrutinizing his leg. Eh. It was all covered in blood anyway, so it was a maybe. He tried to look around him, but it was yet another pitch-black night. If any ‘bots had been here, then they were probably gone already.

And he didn’t know where Shadow was. Thus, he did the first thing which came to mind. “Shadow?” He called, and then immediately louder, “SHADOW!”

No answer. Shit. Shit, shit, shit… Sonic gingerly stood up on shaking legs, and began staggering forward painfully. He tried to get his eyes used to the darkness, and he started to recognise the outlines of buildings. He was in an alley. And now he remembered going into this city, but not why... why he was covered in someone’s blood and laying in an alley.

…And then he stumbled. Even that was enough for his pulse to make a jump worthy of the Olympic Games, and he fell and hit the ground. He bit his tongue, and then his mouth was full of blood and pain burst in his leg and probably in some other body part too and did he fall on something or why the fuck was the ground moving-

…Wait. Was that – oh god – breathing? Sonic rolled to the side and winced in pain, quickly, quickly crawling forward and looking at… Shadow. Unconscious. Stained in blood. And while we’re at it, is that a bullet wound?

Hands scrambled over his body, brushing over his chest frantically – he’s immortal he’s immortal – and yes. Heartbeat. But he was conscious – dear Chaos, what happened? Sonic sagged, pain throbbing in his whole body, and clumsily and painfully (for the both of them) pulled Shadow onto his lap. He smelt like fire. He always did.

And then Sonic remembered about Chaos energy. And took out his emeralds – they had three so far. Three, and they had already been through… he didn’t know what. And a girl they had befriended was dead. But the emeralds were alive with energy, and Sonic slipped of one of Shadow’s limiters, pressing the emerald into his hand…

A flutter of eyelids.

“Dammit, f-faker,” Sonic rasped, and Shadow slowly opened his eyes, those rubies immediately going over to Sonic’s face. Sonic didn’t know if he was choking on laughter or – or blood – whatever. “Y-you – you… Stop falling unconscious, dammit.”

Shadow blinked slowly, as if sleepy, and did something with his lips which could have passed off as a smile in an emergency. Maybe. He had blood smeared next to his lips, Sonic noted, but then Shadow said hoarsely, “Why? It’s so fun to see you worrying…”

-Sonic couldn’t settle for which kind of emotion to feel at that, as he just grabbed Shadow’s shoulder and practically smashed their faces together, trying to let his kissing do the talking. (It tasted like blood and chili)

* * *

The world ended on a Tuesday.

Or well, it didn’t really end. Like ‘end’ end. But Eggman took over, so it was pretty much Sonic’s definition of the end anyway. They had been traveling ever since. Fighting. Sleeping in dumpsters and motels, flirting with spies and fighting robots, breaking into malls and factories, hiding and sneaking, counting stars and running for their lives all the while…

Sonic fiddled with his bandages. A chilly wind tugged at his quills and cloak – they had started wearing cloaks a few weeks ago, since it got so bothersome hiding in the alleys – and the sunset was an unhealthy orange, like glowing coal or oranges. Tattered grey clouds chased over the sky, and on the horizon Sonic could see the towers from the factories. From the city. A cloud of smog was like a smudge on the sky above it, and once again was Sonic both amazed and horrified at how quickly the world fell.

There was forest beneath the cliff Sonic stood on, but it quickly died out. A burnt-down field stretched on and on up until the horizon, where the city began. The capital. Sonic was here to stop Eggman. Kill him, for what he had done to this beautiful world. Sonic was going to fight him until he killed him, fight until he had nothing left to die for.

He would take back his crown. Because everyone wanted to rule the world, but only a few could do it right.

“You look stupid,” Shadow then remarked, and Sonic spun around with his cloak swishing, eyes wide open.

“When the hell did you get here?” Sonic asked in the exact same second, as Shadow said, “You look prettier when you aren’t staring like that.”

And then they both stared at each other. Shadow… he still had that fire about him. He kept that sassy style of humour, and those weird smile-ish smirks. Sonic was pretty sure that he himself looked much more ragged. Much more… manic. Or desperate. No. Not desperate – he had just started cursing and frowning more since they left the others…

(Not that they had a choice)

And Shadow stepped closer to him, and then Sonic snatched his wrist, staring almost defiantly at him. Shadow shrugged. “I teleported. What else?”

Sonic swallowed. They might have been keeping each other sane. He didn’t know. He didn’t care. There wasn’t time anyway – Shadow looked so beautiful in the light of the sunset. And ruin and death was beautiful in its own wicked way, maybe, and Shadow’s hand felt so good and solid and real in his hand-

_We are gonna be kings_

“Shadow?” Sonic said, and Shadow got a serious look in his eyes.

“Yes?” he said calmly, and Sonic-

_If you just stay with me till the end_

“Let’s take back this city. This world.” And he grinned, eyes glinting dangerous like green fire in the light of the sunset. “Let’s get rid of that idiot. Let’s… I don’t know. Let’s rule the world.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes at him in a way which could only be called affectionate, and said, “Didn’t think you were one for that.”

He didn’t know, maybe. He just followed. Through the flames and the deserts and dying cities and battlefields. Shadow always did…

Sonic just grinned, and gestured towards the sunset with flourish. “Whatever. Let’s be kings, Shadow.”

_And if we fail…_  
_…let’s go down in flames._

Maybe Shadow loved how Sonic had gotten just a bit crazier, more ragged, more… devil-may-care, but Sonic certainly didn’t. And Shadow smirked, the sun painting golden streaks in his quills as he said, “As you wish, your faker-ness.”

-They jumped down from the cliff, and began running.


End file.
